SEASON OPENER - Dirty Dogs Bite Hooligans 6-3.

This is always a fun match-up because you never know what will transpire. You can usually count on goals and shots and there were plenty tonight. I liked the new pregame routine which has players check in and shake hands before the contest. After all we are all soccer brothers and hope to survive the game uninjured, so why not start the game with a deliberate act of friendship?

We had some long-time players reappear as Anthony Perrone and Rick Littlefield emerged out of some cryogenic vault in Southern Humboldt to join us once again. Welcome back gents!Hooligans welcomed Anthony to the squad and immediately put him to work defending, while Rick roved the midfield and kept feeding Eric and Mauro up front for the men in yellow ( I was gonna say "yellow men" but is that PC? I didn't think so).

Hooligans also welcomed new players Noah Beck, Cody Lambuth, and the "not-so-new" and returning Reed Tudor and Dave Rowe. Everyone else on the Hooligans has played in this league for at least 40 years, so they need no introduction.

The first half was even and calm for about 20 minutes and there was pretty even possession by both teams and chances here and there. The goals have a strange way of coming when Eric arrives, and he provided one soon after he took the pitch. We will probably mark him with three people next game or I might just try and annoy him by being his shadow...if I can catch him.

Dogs scored a second, but just before the half ended they back-passed to their keeper, Glen who, no longer in his normal role as an attacker, promptly picked the ball up! Hooligans took advantage of a quick restart in the penalty area with only one defender back, and Noah Beck gave a short pass to Kevin Conway who slotted it into the net. The halftime whistle sounded shortly after the goal and us Hooligans felt we were back in it.

Second Half Fouls -
Now that only a goal separated us I think the half started pretty physical. The officials maintained good control by issuing cautions for a few fouls that needed their attention beyond the whistle and that helped.

Dogs scored again early on when Eric waltzed into the box unmarked and headed a cross from Mauro past our keeper. Oops...I think that was my bad for watching him instead of marking him. Oh well.

Hooligans continued to get into their attacking third and put some pressure on their defense but the Dogs found the net again as Eric (is his name coming up often when I mention a goal being scored?)went past three defenders and despite being fouled by two of them tucked the ball in the left corner like it just didn't matter. Our keeper had to console the defenders who really felt bad about having this happen, but kudos to Eric for showing us some good finishing.

Hooligans struck back to make it 4-2 when Kevin Conway was played cleverly through the defense by Antonio Vega. Todd and Mike were busy talking about Facebook when Kevin suddenly burst past them cracked a shot of the left post which came back across goal before Kevin blasted the ball at Glenn and the ball careened into the right corner of the goal.

Not long after, the game was marred by a hard foul on Eric by the Hooligan keeper. The ref issued a caution on what could have been a straight red, when the player was played(or should I say "checked" as in hockey) and the ball was left well alone. While the resulting kick from outside the box was fruitless, the Dogs managed to score shortly after on a goal so thrilling...that I have actually forgotten who scored and how. It was likely Eric though, and Mauro can edit me if he happens to remember. That is what happens when you have headed soccer balls as I have for 38 out the 44 years I have been alive. I just can't remember some things. Last week I totally forgot I was married and had two children, but my loving family set me straight.Where was I? Oh yeah, soccer recap.

It was now 5-2 and the dogs were starting to cruise into the last 15 minutes with a hint of success in their grasp.Hooligans kept mounting attacks and came close, as Glen denied me on a well-saved chance I cracked at the top of the box. But right after that as a throw in was played into the penalty area and quickly cleared....PENALTY. Which at first puzzled everyone because it was not clear what happened. Hooligans were more than happy to benefit from the award and I slotted it past the keeper. I must say that the last time I took a PK from that very spot I hit a car...about three rows back! I made sure I did not shank it this time. Now it was 5-3 and only 10 minutes to play.

Dogs sent a ball into Paul Swenson who was clobbered by our keeper just outside the box. This additional body block resulted in a second caution and the keeper was rightly sent off for not changing the behavior that resulted in the first caution. Anthony Perrone took on the role nobody wanted and stepped in goal as our keeper.
Most of the attackers were badly damaged at this point and they failed to score from the subsequent free kick.

However, with a few minutes left, somebody...I think it was Paul launched a shot from close range on a pass from Eric, which Anthony read well but slipped through his hands and flopped over the line. The score would stand at 6-3 as the final whistle sounded. It was a fun game, the refs did well, and we saw plenty of goals scored.